I couldn’t find a thread for Animated Short so I thought I’d start a new one. I have my analysis below. Let me know any ideas I might be overlooking.

“Feast” from Walt Disney Studios is the current frontrunner in this race. The story of a dog who views his owner’s romance through his own love of food is backed by a studio that has won this award multiple times. The story itself is emotionally grabbing and relatable to many people. It earns additional points for opening Best Animated Feature nominee “Big Hero 6.”

My second place bet goes to “The Dam Keeper” where a pig, bullied at school, protects the entire village by winding up a windmill every morning to keep the darkness away from the other animal characters. The tale certainly has its emotional pull but that is now what is important about this film’s award chances. A friendship at the center of the plot brings two characters together through drawing. In a category celebrating animation, a story that uses that same skill to create a friendship could push the voters. Also, it is the only other nominee besides “Feast” to have been made in the USA and, after all, this is an Academy based in America.

The National Film Board of Canada has won this award before which puts some strength behind my third place choice, “Me and My Moulton.” Based in Norway, a middle sister of three describes how she sees her family as different from everyone else while longing to be the same. I struggle to see how Academy members would connect to this story. The impact of the tale is small as the thoughts driving it appear thin. I doubt this selection will win on foreign charm alone.

“The Bigger Picture” is a fascinating contender in that it doesn’t appeal to a family-friendly-viewing dynamic that seems to prevail in this race. The nomination for the film about two sons dealing with the their aging mother comes for the skills of the animation craft. The characters are paintings on a wall and pop out when a 3D action (picking up an object, for example) is required. Its tone does not line up with previous winners of this category but it is distinctly different from the rest. If it wins, its unique visual approach is what will take the victory.

Finally, “The Single Life” is the shortest nominee clocking in at two minutes. A woman discovers a record that can rewind and fast-forward her life. Ultimately, it becomes a one-note joke. It’s funny for what it is but the greatest flaw is its length which makes it glaringly obvious that the story could have gone further instead of a single “ba-boom-tish”.

The Bigger Picture is the only one that I flat out did not like. A Single Life was the most enjoyable per minute, but it is super short. The Dam Keeper was the longest, so it felt more important. Me and My Moulton might be a good compromise, but it has the lowest score on IMDb. All of them were a bit weird though and none was entirely successful in what it set out to accomplish, so I am currently predicting Feast, which is ironically the only nominee that I have not seen.

Overrated? Yeah, probably. ‘Tis the season after all. What do you think will win instead?

The Dam Keeper will win. I’m 80% sure at least. It has a lot of heart and its visually striking. Two things that the academy looks for in this catagory. It is also the longest out of the five which doesn’t help it but it doesn’t hurt it either.

[quote=”DavidS86″]Overrated? Yeah, probably. ‘Tis the season after all. What do you think will win instead?

The Dam Keeper will win. I’m 80% sure at least. It has a lot of heart and its visually striking. Two things that the academy looks for in this catagory. It is also the longest out of the five which doesn’t help it but it doesn’t hurt it either. [/quote]

I agree it certainly is a contender for exactly those reasons. I kind of wanted the darkness to kill all those animals, though. Maybe I was a little bit cranky when I saw it. 🙂

[quote=”DavidS86″]Overrated? Yeah, probably. ‘Tis the season after all. What do you think will win instead?

The Dam Keeper will win. I’m 80% sure at least. It has a lot of heart and its visually striking. Two things that the academy looks for in this catagory. It is also the longest out of the five which doesn’t help it but it doesn’t hurt it either. [/quote]